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Spirit

Tags:   Wine   Spirits   Chocolate   Art  

Cognac Coast to Coast

Cognac, the most exclusive of liquors, will hit the road across the United States this year for the delight of connoisseurs and aficionados. The Alliance française network has named it “French Excellent Product of the Year” and will organize a series of Cognac related events in its 114 US centers. The tour will start in Miami on February 7th.

The project will include an exhibition of unique Cognac posters, some of them dating back to the first half of the 19th century, which will be showing in an array of museums and art centers. There will also be degustation and comparative tasting events and Cognac diners, a premiere this side of the Atlantic. The most recognized Cognac sommeliers will join the roadshow and conduct the tastings in the major American cities.

Produced exclusively in the French region of Cognac, 90 miles north of Bordeaux, Cognac is distilled from the very special weak white local wine and aged in oak caskets, sometimes for as long as 100 years. Cognac is usually a blend of different eaux-de-vie, artfully mixed by a handful of cellar masters. Basically, there are three varieties, depending upon the age of the youngest component of the blend: VS (Very Special), whose components are at least two year old, VSOP (Very Special Old Pale), at least four years of age, XO (Extra Old), more than six years of age. Price rises obviously with age: VS are usually between $20 and $30 a bottle, VSOP between $30 and $60, and XOs can cost from $80-$90 to several thousand. The most exclusive XO start in the $200 range and can fetch as much as $11,500 for the famous AE Dor Number 5.